How Clinton-Backed "Reform" Suffocated Media IndependenceRandy Shawbyline‚ Jun. 14‚ 2007George W. Bush’s disastrous presidency has left many Democrats fondly reminiscing about the Clinton Administration. This nostalgic wave has made Hillary Clinton the frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic nomination, and her husband Bill is more popular than ever. Eric Klineberg’s “Fighting for Air” provides a timely wake-up call to those pining for a return to the Clinton days, as its main subject matter---media consolidation---was made possible by President Clinton’s support of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. From the rise of Clear Channel to the corporate control of virtually all traditional media, Klinenberg describes how the Telecommunications Act moved American politics to the right and dramatically reshaped the nation’s media. A book akin to a new version of Ben Bagdikian’s classic “The Media Monopoly”, “Fighting for Air” also has a good critique of our local fight between the SF Weekly (part of the Village Voice media chain) and the SF Bay Guardian over the steadily diminishing readership for “alternative” weeklies. |